UMass Boston Softball continues to be on an absolute tear. They are off to their best start in program history and show no signs of slowing down. According to Beacons Athletics, the Beacons squared off in two doubleheaders, one against Suffolk University and one against Plymouth State University, in which they won all four games [1].
In the first half of the doubleheader against the Suffolk Rams, Wednesday, March 27, the Beacons competed in what became one of the lowest-scoring games of their season, according to Beacons Athletics [2]. The game tied for lowest with an earlier matchup against Gwynedd Mercy University. In the second inning, a sacrifice bunt from Ella Delisle drove in Hayley Krockta to take a 1–0 lead. That ended up being the only run scored by either team, with UMass Boston winning the game 1–0. [1]
Starting pitcher Bri Melchionda put on a clinic. She only gave up two hits the entire game and struck out five opposing batters to help secure a Beacons shutout, their fourth of the season so far. [1]
Game two of the doubleheader against the Rams saw a lot more offense, but not until the fifth inning. Suffolk racked up their first two runs of the day in the fifth, with the Beacons doubling their score in response. It started with Melchionda driving in two runs with a single, with Lauryn Bethea driving her in afterward. Krockta added one more run to the total before the inning ended, giving the Beacons a 4–2 lead [1].
Jacqueline Cherry, the game’s starting pitcher, drove in a run on an error in the sixth inning, and that was the last of the scoring for the game. The Beacons closed out the game to secure a 5–2 victory over the Rams, sweeping them [1].
A few days later Saturday, March 30, in the series against the Panthers, things started off in commanding fashion. According to Beacons Athletics, the Beacons got on the scoreboard first with a Mya Perron triple and a single from Delisle. The Panthers answered with two runs of their own in the third, but the Beacons decided to join in on the fun. With each team adding two runs to their total, the game was 4–2 after three innings [3].
Perron and Delisle contributed to two more runs in the sixth inning, all but sealing the game for the Beacons. The Panthers could not respond, and the Beacons won the first contest 6–2. The second game was a lot quieter, though [3].
Krockta started things off by driving in Sofie Richland for the game’s first run. The same two were involved in the second run scored in the third inning, although this time, a Panthers error opened the door for the score. That was all for runs in this game, as the Beacons added yet another shutout to their season with a 2–0 victory against the Panthers [3].
UMass Boston Softball looks unstoppable so far this season, manhandling nearly every team who crosses their path. Although Coach Natalia Ardagna did not comment on the current state of things, one can only expect them to keep up the dominance going forward. With a month left in the season, the expectations are as high as ever, but the Beacons sure seem like they can live up to them.
Sources:
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/27/softball-continues-best-start-in-program-history.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/softball/schedule
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/30/softball-pair-of-dominant-pitching-performances-powers-doubleheader-sweep.aspx